Unusual & excessive data downloading

Quest73

Hi - I have an odd problem. My husband and I both have Samsung Galaxy S11 phones on a 500mb per month tariff. We use wi-fi at home. His usage this month from 8th November to date is about 50mb. Mine appears to have been 606mb. O2 warned me but I really do not do anything much so do not know how to stop it. I have checked my bill and it seems that the phone is downloading data when I am asleep?
These are examples.

19 Nov 11 01:01:55xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx mobile.o2.co.uk 58699 0.000
18 Nov 11 01:27:14 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx mobile.o2.co.uk 49186 0.000

My plea for help is this - how do I find out what it is and how do I stop it please? My husband's phone also downloads in the night but a tiny amount.

Thanks

reclusive46

Have you got some kind of App downloading anything? Like facebook etc?

buglawton

For Android there are some special data monitor apps that can measure and block background programs from using data. Find a good one & install it, e.g. https://market.android.com/details?id=com.onavo.android.onavoid&hl=en

JJ_Egan

Its well known that many apps update or download data unless set to not do so .
Simple solution is to turn Data off except when required either via the Power off menu or via the pull down tab at the top of the screen .
Thats data not Wifi that will still work .

jje

Quest73

Thanks for the quick replies.
However I already have all my apps set to not automatic updating and we have wi-fi on during the night anyway so it shouldn't default to 3g or edge should it? Also I have the data network mode deactivated via the Power menu.
I will look for an app that blocks though, thanks.

Meepster

Are you sure that's not just the total data downloaded on the previous day?

buglawton

I have already discovered that an iPhone is not 'smart' after all when it comes to data - can be at home connected to WiFi and still uses mobile data. So I turn mobile data completely off nowadays. Android phones may be similar. Hence the existence of the data-control Android apps (sadly not avail for iPhone).

Quest73

Meepster wrote: »

Are you sure that's not just the total data downloaded on the previous day?

Thanks but don't think so as the whole list has downloading at different times. I have now downloaded (via wi-fi) 3G Watchdog and Onavo (as recommended above) so hopefully I will track down the culprits.. Thanks again everyone

Meepster

Why not turn off your mobile data connection over night? Would save a lot of hastle

NFH

buglawton wrote: »

I have already discovered that an iPhone is not 'smart' after all when it comes to data - can be at home connected to WiFi and still uses mobile data.

Yes, if the iPhone's screen is turned off for more than few minutes, it turns off wi-fi in order to save the battery (unless connected to external power). This means that any regular background connections (e-mail etc) use mobile data instead of wi-fi. This is intentional.

buglawton

Yes, same explanation given to me by the Apple shop, something to the effect that the 3g connection will 'wake up' first and WiFi after, hence the continuous 3g data usage.

Intentional but absolutely dumb.